What would've happened in Canada?
May 11th 2007, 12:42 am
#107
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: London, Ontario, eh?
Posts: 1,175
Re: What would've happened in Canada?
[quote=dbd33;4765766]
Fair question but...
Funny old thing really but somehow, I thought that creating a clear pathway for the morning commuters seemed trivial in comparison to the life I was trying to save.
Seriously though, in addition to the symptoms she displayed, I had no idea what other injury she might have sustained when she collapsed. Moving her might well have caused further harm.
Ever tried moving a collapsed adult? A 'dead weight' is surprisingly hard to shift.
I guess what I was most disturbed by was the complete indifference that other people seemed to display.
Simon
Funny old thing really but somehow, I thought that creating a clear pathway for the morning commuters seemed trivial in comparison to the life I was trying to save.
Seriously though, in addition to the symptoms she displayed, I had no idea what other injury she might have sustained when she collapsed. Moving her might well have caused further harm.
Ever tried moving a collapsed adult? A 'dead weight' is surprisingly hard to shift.
I guess what I was most disturbed by was the complete indifference that other people seemed to display.
Simon
May 11th 2007, 12:52 am
#108
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 4,842
Re: What would've happened in Canada?
[QUOTE=simon876;4765870]
Fair question but...
Funny old thing really but somehow, I thought that creating a clear pathway for the morning commuters seemed trivial in comparison to the life I was trying to save.
Seriously though, in addition to the symptoms she displayed, I had no idea what other injury she might have sustained when she collapsed. Moving her might well have caused further harm.
Ever tried moving a collapsed adult? A 'dead weight' is surprisingly hard to shift.
I guess what I was most disturbed by was the complete indifference that other people seemed to display.
Simon
My wife fell down in front of a large crowd of people coming down the stairs to a tube station in London last year. I tried to catch her as she fell but the push of the crowd behind knocked my arm away. She managed to get to the edge of the stairs but it was amazing, nobody helped and some even tutted and glowered and swore at her for falling! I hate crowded places anyway and just reinforced my view that a large group of people crowded together is a dangerous entity.
Fair question but...
Funny old thing really but somehow, I thought that creating a clear pathway for the morning commuters seemed trivial in comparison to the life I was trying to save.
Seriously though, in addition to the symptoms she displayed, I had no idea what other injury she might have sustained when she collapsed. Moving her might well have caused further harm.
Ever tried moving a collapsed adult? A 'dead weight' is surprisingly hard to shift.
I guess what I was most disturbed by was the complete indifference that other people seemed to display.
Simon
May 11th 2007, 1:05 am
#110
Assimilated Pauper
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
Posts: 40,023
Re: What would've happened in Canada?
[QUOTE=simon876;4765870]
Yes, I have. I have an autistic "child", now aged 21. One of her stunts his to go limp, like a protestor at a demonstation. In that circumstance she's very difficult to move. Sometimes I drag her by the ankles, horrifying bystanders.
I take the points about crowds being dangerous and the broader one that society is not compassionate, nonetheless I step over prone bodies maybe three times a week, I ignore the hordes of street beggars here, making a point of not acknowledging them to be human; incivility is not a national trait but an urban one.
I take the points about crowds being dangerous and the broader one that society is not compassionate, nonetheless I step over prone bodies maybe three times a week, I ignore the hordes of street beggars here, making a point of not acknowledging them to be human; incivility is not a national trait but an urban one.
May 11th 2007, 1:10 am
#111
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: London, Ontario, eh?
Posts: 1,175
Re: What would've happened in Canada?
[quote=dbd33;4765989]
That must be tough for you. Do people offer to help?
Simon
Simon
May 11th 2007, 1:10 am
#112
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 9,606
Re: What would've happened in Canada?
[QUOTE=dbd33;4765989]
Yes, I have. I have an autistic "child", now aged 21. One of her stunts his to go limp, like a protestor at a demonstation. In that circumstance she's very difficult to move. Sometimes I drag her by the ankles, horrifying bystanders.
I take the points about crowds being dangerous and the broader one that society is not compassionate, nonetheless I step over prone bodies maybe three times a week, I ignore the hordes of street beggars here, making a point of not acknowledging them to be human; incivility is not a national trait but an urban one.
Your blog is coming along well, I must say.
Yes, I have. I have an autistic "child", now aged 21. One of her stunts his to go limp, like a protestor at a demonstation. In that circumstance she's very difficult to move. Sometimes I drag her by the ankles, horrifying bystanders.
I take the points about crowds being dangerous and the broader one that society is not compassionate, nonetheless I step over prone bodies maybe three times a week, I ignore the hordes of street beggars here, making a point of not acknowledging them to be human; incivility is not a national trait but an urban one.
May 11th 2007, 1:14 am
#113
Born again atheist
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Europe (to be specified).
Posts: 30,259
Re: What would've happened in Canada?
[QUOTE=dbd33;4765989]
"Civility is not some outdated bourgeois concept, but a daily expression of social solidarity".
Hear, hear! Well said that woman.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/st...071049,00.html
Hear, hear! Well said that woman.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/st...071049,00.html
May 11th 2007, 1:20 am
#114
Assimilated Pauper
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
Posts: 40,023
Re: What would've happened in Canada?
[QUOTE=simon876;4766007]
No, mostly they just look on amazed. I can't say I blame them.
I object to a lot of the posts that go along the lines of "horrific incident on my street, gotta leave the UK" because all countries have horrific incidents. The UK has chavs, Canada has white trash, domestic violence and incivility are common both there and here.
However, one thing I have to save I think is wonderful in Canada and the US is the attitude to disability. As I say, I have an autistic child; she looks crazy, there's no passing her off as "normal", nonetheless we've eaten in thousands of restaurants, from greasy spoons to the likes of Mortons, Bouchon, La Maquette and travelled extensively on public transit with just one really unpleasant incident in twenty years. It's much more common for people to ask "is that autism?" and then to describe their related experience.
I think we would have a much harder time in the UK.
I object to a lot of the posts that go along the lines of "horrific incident on my street, gotta leave the UK" because all countries have horrific incidents. The UK has chavs, Canada has white trash, domestic violence and incivility are common both there and here.
However, one thing I have to save I think is wonderful in Canada and the US is the attitude to disability. As I say, I have an autistic child; she looks crazy, there's no passing her off as "normal", nonetheless we've eaten in thousands of restaurants, from greasy spoons to the likes of Mortons, Bouchon, La Maquette and travelled extensively on public transit with just one really unpleasant incident in twenty years. It's much more common for people to ask "is that autism?" and then to describe their related experience.
I think we would have a much harder time in the UK.
May 11th 2007, 1:22 am
#115
Assimilated Pauper
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
Posts: 40,023
Re: What would've happened in Canada?
[QUOTE=Souvenir;4766008]
Thanks, we'll have a flurry of updates once the chickens arrive (on the 23rd) and we have some large animals (very many prodded and poked this week, more test rides on the weekend).
Thanks, we'll have a flurry of updates once the chickens arrive (on the 23rd) and we have some large animals (very many prodded and poked this week, more test rides on the weekend).
May 11th 2007, 1:22 am
#116
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: London, Ontario, eh?
Posts: 1,175
Re: What would've happened in Canada?
[quote=Novocastrian;4766035]
"Civility is not some outdated bourgeois concept, but a daily expression of social solidarity".
Hear, hear! Well said that woman.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/st...071049,00.html
Superb article - well spotted!
"Civility is not some outdated bourgeois concept, but a daily expression of social solidarity".
Hear, hear! Well said that woman.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/st...071049,00.html
Superb article - well spotted!
May 11th 2007, 1:28 am
#117
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: London, Ontario, eh?
Posts: 1,175
Re: What would've happened in Canada?
[quote=dbd33;4766064]
No, mostly they just look on amazed. I can't say I blame them.
I object to a lot of the posts that go along the lines of "horrific incident on my street, gotta leave the UK" because all countries have horrific incidents. The UK has chavs, Canada has white trash, domestic violence and incivility are common both there and here.
However, one thing I have to save I think is wonderful in Canada and the US is the attitude to disability. As I say, I have an autistic child; she looks crazy, there's no passing her off as "normal", nonetheless we've eaten in thousands of restaurants, from greasy spoons to the likes of Mortons, Bouchon, La Maquette and travelled extensively on public transit with just one really unpleasant incident in twenty years. It's much more common for people to ask "is that autism?" and then to describe their related experience.
I think we would have a much harder time in the UK.
I would tend to agree. I am encouraged to hear that people around you understand.
My consistent experience of life in Canada so far is one of understanding. I attended a conference in November in London, Ontario.
The conference was about celebrating diversity and I was pleased to see that the approach in Canada is less driven by legislation and more by what appears to be a genuine desire to achieve acceptance for who people are, rather than the generic social group they appear to belong to.
Having said that, I am white, male, middle-aged and employed. Maybe my experience would be different if I were not?
Simon
No, mostly they just look on amazed. I can't say I blame them.
I object to a lot of the posts that go along the lines of "horrific incident on my street, gotta leave the UK" because all countries have horrific incidents. The UK has chavs, Canada has white trash, domestic violence and incivility are common both there and here.
However, one thing I have to save I think is wonderful in Canada and the US is the attitude to disability. As I say, I have an autistic child; she looks crazy, there's no passing her off as "normal", nonetheless we've eaten in thousands of restaurants, from greasy spoons to the likes of Mortons, Bouchon, La Maquette and travelled extensively on public transit with just one really unpleasant incident in twenty years. It's much more common for people to ask "is that autism?" and then to describe their related experience.
I think we would have a much harder time in the UK.
My consistent experience of life in Canada so far is one of understanding. I attended a conference in November in London, Ontario.
The conference was about celebrating diversity and I was pleased to see that the approach in Canada is less driven by legislation and more by what appears to be a genuine desire to achieve acceptance for who people are, rather than the generic social group they appear to belong to.
Having said that, I am white, male, middle-aged and employed. Maybe my experience would be different if I were not?
Simon
Last edited by simon876; May 11th 2007 at 1:30 am. Reason: Grammar
May 11th 2007, 1:38 am
#118
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jul 2006
Location: Cochrane, Alberta
Posts: 7,864
May 11th 2007, 1:38 am
#119
Tea Drinker
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Posts: 5,387
Re: What would've happened in Canada?
The UK has chavs, Canada has white trash
May 11th 2007, 1:39 am
#120
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jul 2006
Location: Cochrane, Alberta
Posts: 7,864
